What we know about Calgary’s possible Olympic bid so far

CALGARY—With weeks to go before city council’s final “off-ramp” vote on a potential 2026 Winter Olympics bid, here’s what Calgarians know — and don’t know — so far, ahead of the possible plebiscite:

What we know:

Nov. 13 is the date of the planned plebiscite for Calgarians to have their say on being a host city for the 2026 Winter Olympics. (Jeff McIntosh / The Canadian Press)

Sept. 10: The date the Calgary Olympic Bid Corporation will present a hosting proposal to city council, and council will vote on whether or not to continue with a bid.

Nov. 13: The date of the planned plebiscite for Calgarians to have their say on being a host city in 2026.

$925 million U.S.: The amount the International Olympic Committee has promised to contribute to the 2026 host city.

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$290,250 per annum: The salary of BidCo CEO Mary Moran. (The pay is the same amount she was making as CEO of Calgary Economic Development, from which she’s taking an unpaid leave.)

September 2019: When candidate cities present to the International Olympic Committee and the successful host city is chosen.

What we don’t know:

What hosting will cost Calgary: The federal and provincial governments will share some of the financial burden of hosting, but the breakdown is still unclear. Council is set to hear an update on negotiations with the other levels of government on Sept. 10.

Where events will be hosted: Discussions are still underway about how Calgary and Canmore — and potentially other cities — might participate in hosting.

How being a host city could affect Calgary’s debt: Information about how a bid could impact the city’s debt capacity will be presented to council on Sept. 10, but details haven’t been made public so far.

What Calgary will get from hosting: While upgrades to sports infrastructure, affordable housing and transit have all been discussed as potential benefits of being a host city again, concrete plans have yet to be presented.